1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of transporting, monitoring, and otherwise controlling goods and assets. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of monitoring goods and assets (e.g. vehicles, vehicle contents, containers, container contents, people, high interest items, perishables, etc.) while in transit whereby the position and condition of the goods and assets can be monitored constantly or at desired intervals and whereby the condition of the goods and assets can be adjusted and controlled remotely.
2. State of the Art
Traditionally, goods undergo a series of steps in the process of manufacturing the goods, distributing the goods, and transporting them to a final destination, which might be a consumer, a retail store, or another manufacturing facility, for example. The steps through which goods typically pass along a typical distribution chain are often fixed, and are similar for many industries. These steps may typically include manufacturing, transportation to a storage facility or warehouse, storage in the warehouse, transportation to a distributor, storage at the distributor, and transportation to the end user. These steps are viewed as necessary by many industries.
There are, however, several limitations which are unavoidable with this typical type of supply chain. For example, a large amount of money is invested in inventory which is stored in a warehouse or other storage facility. Conventional wisdom suggests that a relatively large inventory is a good investment which provides income upon sale. This inventory represents a huge cost and only potential revenue. A significant drawback with a large inventory, however, is that many of the items held in inventory will become obsolete before they are sold. This is of greater concern where the goods are perishable, or where the goods are in an area of technology which is advancing rapidly. Additionally, large amounts of money are spent on the space necessary to store the inventory, support the personnel to manage that inventory, and overhead costs to maintain facilities and the assets. The infrastructure required to transport inventory to and from these facilities is also very costly. Money which is tied up in storing goods is money which could be diverted to goods which are actively sold, or to developing new goods or technology.
Similarly, a distribution facility creates many of the same type of drawbacks that a warehouse full of inventory creates, requiring storage of a quantity of goods, additional transportation, and management.
This traditional view of a supply chain also results in additional delays and costs because of the need to stop the flow of goods to obtain information about the goods, such as quantity or the condition of the goods, or because the supply chain itself creates the need for additional information gathering, processing, and utilization, such as where stored inventory must often be checked for quantity and quality and the storage conditions changed to ensure the quality of the goods. This traditional view, in turn, requires higher levels of inventory because of the delays and lock of knowledge surrounding the supply chain and the goods themselves.
A significant number of man hours are required to monitor the goods stored in a warehouse. Personnel must be available to receive goods and place them into the warehouse in an ordered manner, to inventory the goods periodically, to check the goods for quality and adjust the storage conditions, and to organize the goods for shipment and evacuate them from the warehouse. The man hours, in combination with the cost of the warehouse space itself and the cost of utilities for operating the warehouse create a significant expense for the company.
Additionally, in a traditional supply chain or its sub-set distribution network, the company is unable to remedy problems as they arise, leading to additional delays. For example, if goods are damaged during shipping, the problem is not known until the goods arrive at the final destination. Once the problem is known, it is very difficult to determine when or where the damage occurred. Additionally, many problems are difficult to detect and may not be known until the goods are on a store shelf for sale or until a subsequent manufacturer uses the goods. At this point, additional damage or costs are incurred as compared to where the damage to the goods is more promptly ascertained.
Where goods are damaged or stolen in transit, there are typically significant delays in replacing the goods. Once the damage or loss is ascertained, usually after shipping, a new item must be sent from the manufacturer or distributor, typically taking as long or longer than the initial shipping process. The delay in obtaining replacement goods causes additional hardship for the recipient of the goods.
In many situations it is desirable to monitor various types of goods. It is important to maintain accurate information about the quantity and quality of goods in various stages of business such as production, storage, transportation, and sales.
It is of great importance to maintain accurate information and control over goods which are in transit. It is necessary for nearly all industries to ship goods using various carriers such as semi-trailers, trains, ships, and airplanes. Companies can maintain accurate control over the conditions of goods in their facility, but frequently can not control the conditions or security in which the goods are shipped.
Many goods are perishable or otherwise susceptible to damage in shipping. Fruit, for example, should be maintained under relatively strict temperature control during transit. It is possible to maintain such control during transit, but this is heavily dependent on the person in charge of transit. Typically, fruit will be shipped by truck. Thus, the truck driver is primarily responsible for the fruit during transit.
As an example, fruit should often be maintained below a certain temperature during transit, with a limited amount of time above that temperature being acceptable. Suppose fruit could be above the desired temperature for 1 hour during transit without increasing the risk of spoiling the fruit. During transit, the driver would often be required to stop and check the temperature of the fruit every hour and create a log of the temperatures to show that the fruit was not damaged during transit. This adds significant time and cost to the transportation of the fruit. Additionally, the company must rely on the driver's honesty in accurately controlling and logging the temperature of the fruit.
An additional limitation in maintaining the temperature of the fruit during transit is that the driver may often stop for a nap during transit. Because the refrigeration unit on the trailer is often noisy, it is not uncommon for the driver to turn off the refrigeration unit while sleeping. If the driver sleeps for several hours, the fruit is more likely to spoil, but this will not typically be discovered until the fruit is on the store shelf.
It is thus desirable to maintain accurate information about the goods in transit. It is desirable to accurately monitor the quantity, location, and physical attributes of the goods such as temperature, chemical state, consistency, quality, operational status, amount, security, etc. It is equally advantageous to then be able to adjust the physical conditions of the goods in transit, such as adjusting the temperature, chemical state, consistency, quality, operational status, etc. of the goods, and to ensure the quantity and security of the shipment.
Additionally, it is desirable to know where the specific goods are while in transit, and to verify the number of goods which are being shipped. This allows a company to know about and plan for delays in shipment, as well as account for loss during shipment.
Currently, it is difficult and time consuming to monitor various types of goods. Typically, to count or check the condition of goods, an employee must manually perform the task. This is time consuming and inconvenient, resulting in additional operating expenses for the business. A significant limitation is where current methods of monitoring goods require that the goods be stopped for physical inspection. This is true in nearly all areas of business discussed. A shipper must typically delay, slow down, or stop a shipment to inventory the goods or check on the quality or physical conditions of the goods. A warehouse or manufacturing facility must stop goods, or at best, route them through specific checkpoints, significantly slowing down the supply chain, as they enter or exit different parts of the facility or the facility itself to verify and record the quantity and quality of goods.
Thus, currently available methods of monitoring goods do not readily allow a person to constantly monitor the location, quantity, state of being, and quality of goods. This information may only be known by stopping or at best delaying the goods or operations and requiring an employee to check on the goods and record the desired information. This results in a significant cost in monitoring the goods, and significantly limits where and when an individual can monitor the goods.
Additionally, current methodologies of supply chains and goods distribution create significant costs and time delays
There is thus a need for a method and system for transporting, managing the transportation of, monitoring, and controlling goods which eliminates the significant time delays and additional expenses involved with storing inventory and shipping goods, and which eliminates or reduces the lack of ability to monitor and manage the goods. Additionally, there is a need for a method of transporting goods which allows an individual to access current information regarding the location, quantity, and physical conditions of the goods without requiring a person to stop the movement of the goods and obtain this information, and without requiring that the goods be stopped or otherwise interrupted from the course of manufacturing, storage, shipping, selling, or the like.
Similarly, there is a need for a method and system for monitoring desired conditions or attributes of a variety of items, including but not limited to goods, inventory, shipments, equipment, or even personnel.